


Shopping With Rita

by motherbearof3



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Assumed Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Girltalk, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14464683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motherbearof3/pseuds/motherbearof3
Summary: Rita decides Olivia needs to improve her wardrobe.





	Shopping With Rita

**Author's Note:**

> I've been complaining all season about the clothes they have Benson wearing compared to the things she used to wear even last season or the one before. So I decided Rita had the same feeling and decided to take action. I laughed writing this bit of fluff. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> As always these aren't my characters, I just play with them.

Rita Calhoun breezed into the SVU squad room at the one-six, her heels tapping on the floor as she strode purposefully toward her destination: Olivia Benson’s office. She made eye contact with Fin Tutuola, as he looked up from the paperwork open on his desk and she slowed briefly.

“Counselor, what brings you here?” He looked at his watch. They weren’t scheduled to meet for dinner for another couple of hours.

“As much as I know you’re happy to see me, Detective,” her eyes dropped briefly to his lap -- so briefly you wouldn’t notice unless you were watching them -- and then went back to his face. “I need to talk to Olivia.”

“You’re in luck. Stone just left.” He gestured toward his lieutenant’s open door and found himself looking at his girlfriend’s shapely behind as she made her way toward it.

“Olivia.” Rita knocked once on the door frame and stepped into the office. Benson looked up from her laptop.

“Rita,” she acknowledged with a tilt of her head. ”Is there something I can do for you?”

“Yes,” declared the attorney. “Let me take you shopping.”

“What?” Olivia asked, pushing her glasses on top of her head. She wondered if the defense lawyer had been drinking.

“You heard me. Listen,” Rita crossed her arms, “I know you’re with Barba now -- “

“Like you’re with Fin?” the lieutenant interrupted quietly, glancing out the door to the man in question with a quirked eyebrow.

That was enough to make Calhoun uncross her arms and close the door. Then she took a seat in one of the chairs at the front of Olivia’s desk and leaned forward, hands clasped.

“Look. No one knows about Odafin and me.” 

Benson smirked at her, looking so much like Barba that Rita wondered if he was giving lessons in sass since he left the DA’s office. 

“I’ll let you believe that, counselor. As for Rafael and me; since he resigned, yes, our relationship has…...changed.” The smirk faded into a gentle smile and she sat back in her chair.

“Exactly. Listen, I was looking at you in the courtroom today and that,” Rita waved her hand up and down, “is okay for being the lady lieutenant, but it wouldn’t kill you to wear some color once in a while. I mean, how many black blazers do you own, Liv?”

Olivia said nothing. She did a brief mental count and stopped when she got to six, knowing there was probably more. Okay, maybe she did wear a lot of black. And navy. But it was slimming and practical and she didn’t have to think about what to wear when she was pulled out of bed at 3 a.m.

“Jesus, you’re actually counting!” Rita laughed.  “But it makes my argument. Which is: you need some new clothes. When was the last time you bought something new for yourself?”  
  
Again, the other woman had no reply, knowing the answer was a long time. For the last several years, when she shopped, it was for Noah not herself. If she did buy something for herself it was online. Maybe Calhoun was right. She sighed.

“I knew it!” declared the attorney triumphantly. Then her voice turned persuasive, “Come on, Liv. We’ll make a day of it. We’ll shop, we’ll eat, we’ll drink. It’ll be fun.”

“All right, Rita. You’ve convinced me. When? I’ll need to make arrangements for Noah.”

“Saturday. The sooner the better. Let Barba babysit. He doesn’t like to admit it, but he loves that kid of yours.” She stood, straightening her skirt and shaking her long hair off her shoulders, so the curled ends bounced before settling against her back.

Olivia smiled at her. She knew Rafael loved Noah and the feeling was enthusiastically returned by the little boy. He wouldn’t mind watching him for the day. Especially when she told him she was going shopping. Over the years she’d always suspected he was a shopaholic, but confirmed it the first time she got a glimpse of his walk in closet. He had ties and suspenders she’d never seen in the six years they worked together. And socks! He could probably wear a different pair of socks a day for months without repeating.

“Saturday is good. Rafa and Noah already have plans. There’s a new movie they want to see -- a superhero thing. I don’t know who’s more excited.” She chuckled and Rita joined in, knowing Fin would probably be going with his son Ken, and Ken’s husband, Alejandro.

The women made arrangements to meet Saturday morning and exchanged goodbye’s. Friday evening Olivia got a text from Rita:  _ Comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off. Nude or white bra. Pants are okay but for God’s sake leave the black blazer in the closet!  _ The last sentence was punctuated with an emoji crying tears of laughter. She showed it to Rafael as they were getting ready for bed and he laughed. While he always assured her she was beautiful in anything, he was intrigued to see what his law school friend would pick out for the woman he loved.

After kissing her two favorite men goodbye in the morning, and with a travel mug of coffee in hand because Rafael said Rita would have hit the ground running, Olivia set off to meet her at the department store chosen to begin their adventure. Rafael was right. Rita sounded like a drill sergeant from the first words out of her mouth.

“Let’s start with the foundation and work our way up.” She said, eyeing up Olivia’s outfit of jeans and a blouse, paired with slip on Keds. “What do you have on under that?”

The lieutenant raised her eyebrows. “A bra and underwear. Nude bra, per your instructions.”

“Okay, but what? White cotton Fruit of the Looms or lace from Victoria Secret?” Rita challenged.

“Neither.” Olivia bristled slightly. “They’re white but some kind of breathable, wicking fabric. They’re good for working out.”

“But not for making out.” Rita linked her arm with Olivia’s and led her toward the lingerie department. Once they were surrounded by lacy underthings, some of which looked far too small in Olivia’s opinion, the attorney looked at her friend with an experienced eye. “36…...D?”

“34,” she retorted. “But yes, a D cup.”

The SVU lieutenant was a tall but petite woman who inherited her mother’s generous bosom. Good genes and an active job had kept her trim, but when she hit 50, she started to be concerned about things sagging, and thus wore a bra with firm support most of the time; especially considering how many times she found herself sprinting after a perp. If most sports bras didn’t create such an unattractive uniboob appearance, she’d wear them all the time. But she couldn’t deny now that she was in a relationship with the former district attorney, she wished she had some sexier undergarments. Olivia was brought out of her thoughts about Rafael and him seeing her undressed by Rita holding out several hangers. They were bras with more lace than actual fabric, and ranged in colors from bright pink to baby blue.

“Here, try these while I find the matching panties.” She pointed over Olivia’s shoulder. “The fitting room is over there. Go.”

Benson took the hangers and walked toward the fitting rooms’ entrance as instructed, peeking at the tags, which told her the bras were indeed her size, regardless of how small they appeared. She found an open room and stripped off her blouse and plain nude bra, holding up the bright pink one and eyeing it skeptically, but put it on. She’d just gotten the straps adjusted when she heard Rita enter the outer area.

“Liv?”

“Here.” She put a hand over the door.

“Did you try them on?”

“I have one on.”

“Let me see.” Rita yanked open the door.

“Rita!” Olivia exclaimed and backed up, trying to cover herself. It wasn’t her body she was self conscious of as much as her scars.

“Oh, that looks good on you. Did you adjust?”

“The straps, yes,” replied Liv, resisting the urge to reach for her blouse.

“No, did you adjust yourself? The girls.” Rita pushed up on her own breasts to demonstrate. “It’s a demi cup. You should be spilling out a little at the top.”

“Oh. Okay.” Olivia made a shooing motion. “Close the door and I’ll adjust.”

Rita backed up and closed the door. Turning toward the mirror, Olivia made the adjustments inside the bra cups and realized it did look better. She liked the color.

“Rita?”

“Hmmm?” The lawyer was leaned against the fitting room door, texting with Fin.

“Did you say there were matching panties?” A pair came flying over the door. She caught them. “Thanks.”

Shimmying out of her jeans, she stepped into the panties with a lace panel that matched the bra. They didn’t cover as much as her regular underwear, but then she didn’t expect to be wearing them as long, either, she thought smiling. By the time the pair left the lingerie department, Olivia was the proud owner of four new bras and matching panties in bright pink, a deep emerald green, baby blue and red. Rita tried to talk her into at least one thong -- no panty lines, she said -- but Liv was firm on rejecting that suggestion.

Next she was herded into a part of the women’s section Olivia was sure she had never been. The racks were filled with skirts that were shorter than she’d worn in at least a decade, blouses made of filmy, flowy materials and dresses with plunging necklines. Nothing that a 50 year old mother of an almost 6 year old would wear, she was certain.

“Oh, Rita, I don’t think….” Liv shook her head.

“Where do you and my old study buddy go when you go out?”

“That’s the thing,” she put her hands out, palms up, “we don’t. I spend so much time away from Noah for work that when I do have free time, I want to spend it with him. And Rafael understands that. So if we’re not doing things like going to the park, or one of Noah’s t-ball games, we just stay home.”

“You never go out to dinner? Dancing? The theatre or even just a movie?” Rita was aghast. It wasn’t like she and Fin had a lively social life, but they went out together at least once a week. He’d even tried to get her to go to one of those video game conventions he loved so much, but she drew the line at that.

“He took me out to dinner when we first started dating, but no. Not really.” Olivia shrugged. “So I really don’t need any new clothes. The underwear…..” She smiled. “That will get used.”

Rita sighed. “So when you went out to dinner, what did you wear?”

“A little  --”

“Black dress,” Calhoun finished the sentence for her, rolling her eyes. “And I’ll bet it came to your knees and has sleeves. You probably bought it for one of those rubber chicken dinners the NYPD makes you go to a couple times a year, right?”

“Well, yes, but -- ”

“Then we’re getting you at least a new cocktail dress, and maybe a couple new tops to wear with jeans. Just because you do mom things doesn’t mean you have to look like one.”

Olivia allowed herself to be steered toward a rack of dresses and as she pushed the hangers down the rod, found one she liked. It was green and reminded her of Rafael’s eyes. But where would she wear it? As she looked to see if there was even one in her size, the song being played through the store’s speakers caught her ear. It was the instrumental version of a popular show tune and an idea began forming in her head.

“How about this one, counselor?” She held it up for Rita to see. The other woman nodded. 

“I approve. Go try it on.”

“I will, but I had a thought. There’s a new musical out that Rafael keeps saying he’d like to see.” She got another nod. Rita knew her friend’s penchant for musical theatre. “So how about I get this dress and tickets for us to go see it and you and Fin watch Noah for us?”

It was only the attorney’s practiced courtroom facade that allowed her to keep the horror from showing on her face that she felt at the thought of babysitting. She hadn’t even babysat as a teenager. Children were loud and messy. Olivia knew Rita had no experience with children. She was sure that she and Fin had never watched his grandson, Jaden. But she was enjoying watching her squirm.

“That’s okay, Rita. If you don’t want to do it.” She looked at the dress in her hand and sighed a little more dramatically than was necessary. “I really like this dress, though. And I think Rafa would too.” Olivia moved to put it back on the rack.

“No, no. Okay, we’ll watch Noah. He’s out of diapers, right?”

Olivia burst out laughing. “For a few years now. Come on, I want to try this on.” She turned and headed for the fitting room nearby.

“Well, you might as well try on a few other things too, if you’re taking your clothes off.” Rita handed her some blouses and a skirt she’d already pulled for her before the dress conversation began.

The dress was perfect and surprisingly, Liv liked two of the tops as well. They returned to the lingerie department for a pair of stockings, because Rita insisted she couldn’t put pantyhose over top of the green satin panties. Then Olivia declared it was time for lunch. They made their way to a restaurant nearby and took a booth, the benches beside both of them filled with bags and the dress in it’s own garment bag. After each ordering a glass of wine to start -- red for Olivia and white for Rita -- they each took out their phones to touch base with their significant others.

_ -Having lunch. What time is the movie?  _ Olivia texted Rafael.

_ Two-something. I forget. I preordered the tickets so we don’t have to stand in line. Did you buy anything? _

_ -Quite a few things. I’ll give you a fashion show tonight. _

_ Looking forward to it. _

_ -Not too much junk food. For either of you. _

She looked up at Rita who was now perusing the menu.

“Thanks for this, Rita. I’m glad I let you talk me into it.” The other woman met her gaze.

“You’re welcome. Listen, I know as well as you do, how hard it is to be a woman in a man’s world. It took me a long time to strike the right balance in my courtroom clothes. But outside of work, sometimes you just need to be a girl. Especially with the right guy,” she took a sip of her wine, smirking a little as Olivia blushed. 

Rita knew how Barba felt about the head of SVU. It pained her to see him leave the DA’s office, but she was glad the two of them had finally come to their senses after all these years. They were good for each other. Over lunch the two traded stories about Barba and Fin. Olivia had worked with the detective as long as Rita had known Rafael. By the time they went their separate ways, each felt they’d gained a friend.


End file.
